When it Falls
by Isolde Jansma
Summary: Atlantis is ravaged and the New 'Lanteans are on their own in a galaxy gone hostile. NC-17
1. Chapter 1

**A.N. I don't own them, and if I did I would be rich beyond my dreams of avarice - plus there would have been more Wraith. I do own the plot and any OC. Thank you.**

* * *

As soon as grey dawn crept over the tops of the trees where they'd made camp, the site in uneasy slumber except for a few marines on lookout duty, Jennifer had snuck out into the chilly morning. Feet leaving a faint trail in the bedewed grass, the intention had been that she would get what they so desperately needed and then head back to camp as soon as it was collected. It seemed like a great plan at the time…

John and Woolsey were so busy trying to organise the survivors and locate as many missing personnel as possible - though it was proving a difficult task with so many Wraith marauders sniffing out their quarry with frightening ease - they were losing sight of the smaller stuff. She knew running this particular gamut was never going to be easy, didn't need it spelling out, and they had discussed… no… _quarrelled_ long into the night about going back to Atlantis to retrieve information and supplies. They all shouted her down when she wanted to go back for some of her equipment… something she was damned she would listen to. The wounded need her help but she couldn't, not without equipment and supplies from Atlantis.

The row had been long and circuitous, with Rodney being as obstructive as he could, wanting her to stay, she knew, because he was afraid for her. His concern warmed her but, she had a duty of care to see through.

So here she was… hiding from drones and their handlers _and_ contemplating the meaning of nobility and sacrifice, which did _not_ include this particular scenario.

Low growling voices were Keller's prompt to tunnel further into the shadows, squeezing herself against the wall and between overturned work benches, becoming as small as she could in such a confined space. Willing herself invisible, Jennifer strained her hearing but all she could make out was the galloping of her own heart and the sound of heavy booted feet as they stirred through the debris left by the running fight with Wraith drones and several hives that appeared over the spires of the citadel. In the end it had been too much and Atlantis had fallen.

But not without a fight…

Stifling the sob birthing in her throat, Jennifer's mind played out the awful flickering sights of a night gone mad, the sound of stun weapons, and rapid cross-fire from P90's as they coloured the darkness with yellow and orange flame. The goddawful whine of darts and the sound of the culling beam… Her race, fuelled by fear and rage, through the corridors of the burning city and across the piers to reach the relative sanctity of the control centre and 'gate was a blur, and so were the next few days as she joined with pockets of resistance that fled outwards to the mainland, all determined to survive and take back what was theirs.

Their hastily cobbled together committee - Sheppard, McKay and Woolsey – reacted fast to the threat, organising the survivors into groups to scout for food and other items the Wraith missed in their attempt at annihilation, determined with a grim efficiency they would survive against all costs. But… they had no idea where Ronon was or whether he had escaped with his life and it was a circumstance that left them tense, biting back grief and hopelessness. Teyla, on the other hand, was somewhere across the galaxy with her son and Kanaan - a lucky escape, as she had left only the day before the world fell apart… Jennifer wished she could have been so blessed.

Except she'd had to be fucking stupid… _really_ fucking stupid to ignore the remonstrations to 'leave it well alone' and returned on her own, full of piss and vinegar, to the ruins in search of medical supplies to treat the wounded when she should have known they would be back. Kicking herself for being so bloody minded, the woman scrunched her eyes shut, wrapping her arms tight about her knees, willing herself to invisibility as well as trying to keep her blind terror under wraps.

Feet paused at the benches, coming to a halt over broken glass that crunched, jarring every nerve in her body and she uttered an unwitting whimper. The noise was enough to alert the Wraith standing close by and the benches were wrenched aside to expose her trembling figure, followed by a growl of success as the tall figure bent and reached into her hiding spot. The firm grip of a powerful hand pulling her hair hard as he leaned in unbalanced her, and she landed on the floor amidst the smashed test tubes and broken equipment, sprawled like a lizard on a rock. Blood seeped from her palms where they contacted the ground, splintered glass cutting through her flesh, blood dripping as she made an attempt to grab at the hard hand. Heels churned against the floor, scrabbling as she backed away, jerking against his rigid strength, panic setting in as she fought against her captor.

Bending over her, the tall male's grasp on her hair grew tighter as it yanked at her scalp but, instead of the fatal clasp of his feeding hand to her sternum, it slid to the small of her back as he hauled her to her feet until she was face to face with a broad chest. Using her hair as a lever he tilted her head back, and Jennifer found herself gazing up into the harsh visage of a Wraith, sharp angles accented by the shadows falling across his face.

"Cease this now."

The deep voice rippled over her and, gulping back her fear, she thought she recognised the tones so allowed herself to relax a little. "Todd...?" she rasped as his hand at her back supported her weight, and she steadied herself with a clawed fist on his chest, spreading blood across the leather as he rumbled at the name. "W-what are y-you… H-how -"

"Irrelevant." Cool green-gold eyes flickered over her features in faint acknowledgement. "Dr. Keller," he said, "it is as well it was I that found you and not one of my officers."

As he relinquished her hair, Jennifer was grateful the Wraith allowed her some time to compose herself, knowing he sensed her fear at his presence, the flare to his nostrils obvious as he took in the scent of the emotion seeping from her. Understanding how delectable such emotions were to Wraith did not help Keller's sense of calm, but as Todd seemed just to be observing her, his expression cool and appraising rather than ravenous, she made a stab at getting herself under control. Thrusting panic and fear into a neat box earned a nod of approval, and her breathing grew steadier, her heart slowing from the rapid drumbeat in her chest.

Once certain her composure was in position, at least in part, the Wraith stepped to one side and took her elbow, though firm, to guide her. "You must come with me, Doctor -" he steered her with growing authority out of the shattered infirmary, ignoring her faint protests – "as I have need of your expertise."

Swallowing, Jennifer dug in her heels, wondering if this action would be the one to make him revert to type and turn him to the savage predator she knew him to be. "P-please… please, T-Todd… I…"

"We must go _now_ -" he hissed, impatient, his face turning down to look into her eyes - "as my Alliance can no longer stay in orbit above Atlantis. It is unsafe and I will be of no assistance to your compatriots if I fall."

Continuing to move despite her attempts to halt their progress, Jennifer managed to blurt out a few words. "Y-you've come to help us?"

"Did I not just say so, Jennifer Keller?"

Offering nothing further by way of explanation, ignoring Jennifer's desperate attempts to gain more information, they moved with rapid steps along the corridors, past empty rooms, and she trotted alongside to keep apace of his long strides, attempting to quell the shivers running through her frame, to quench again the fear biting at her insides. Todd's face was impassive, gave naught away to her, nil she could read with ease. Everything blurred as he hurried through the city, only the sound of their boots echoing through the halls, paying no attention to her efforts to keep up, his firm grasp on her arm the only thing keeping her upright…

Eventually they halted on the western pier, and he pulled her closer to his side, growling when he heard the steady whine of the dart approaching. Hearing her gasp of terror, the Wraith looked down at the woman pressed against him and offered a few words. "We go to my hive…"

Turning wide dark eyes on him, Jennifer blanched, what little colour she did have leaching from her skin. "Your h-hive...?"

Her next words were cut off in the fizzing white light of the beam as they were taken into the bowels of the dart. It was soon lost to sight as it rose through the still smoking ruins of the city and up into the darkening, storm ridden sky…

* * *

The reintegration of her body left Jennifer disoriented, her eyes seeing only the black leather covered chest before her, a scream threatening to burst out of her lungs, trickling past her lips as she gulped for air and froze, hanging in the grasp of a powerful slayer she knew none of her colleagues really trusted. Swallowing, she lifted her face up look into the hard features of the Wraith Commander, whose demon eyes were narrow slits.

Almost as if he knew what was on her tongue to speak, Todd placed her from him, and took the wrist of one of her hands to examine the wounds on her palm. Reaching for the other hand, he turned it over and gave a curt nod. "These wounds need treating, Doctor, before they become infected."

As he released her, Jennifer pulled away, snatching her hands back to her sides as if scalded and stared at him. "Yeah… but… I-I… d-don't -"

A faint smile twisted Todd's lips and he tilted his head as he scrutinised her. "I feel certain the Worshippers will have remedies you can use."

Keller gaped at him, realised her mouth was open and shut it as she nodded, knowing that Worshippers were something many hives carried but had never expected she would get to meet any. Studying the floor for a moment, she dared to look up into his face and saw Todd was already reaching for her arm even as he returned her gaze.

"T-thanks," she mumbled and this time earned a faint snort as he propelled her along the narrow bridge and towards the bay doors. Wanting very much to talk to him about why he had seen fit to rescue her, yet afraid to ask the questions she needed answers to, Jennifer remained silent, the enquiry bubbling on her lips like a froth.

A group of drones joined them as they exited into the hallways, responding to Todd's silent commands to form a guard to flank them both. This time Jennifer managed to rake courage from somewhere when he loosened the manacle grip of his hand on her arm.

"Where are we going?"

Impassive, Todd looked at her from the corners of his eyes and drew a breath before saying, "To place you somewhere out of sight as there is a Queen onboard."

Stunned, Keller dared to reach and grip his forearm, which Todd accepted, albeit with reluctance if the glance downwards signified anything, and gabbled, "A Q-Queen.. you have a Queen? But… I-I don't understand…" Her words trailed off, and for the first time Jennifer felt tears prickling, and horrified, she felt them spill like rain down her cheeks. "W-what… w-why…?

Slowing his pace as he realised the woman was overwrought, Todd stopped and turned to face her, lifting his feeding hand to her cheek and smoothed his forefinger across her cheek, curiosity playing over his features. On a sigh, he said, "I did not say _I_ had a Queen, Dr. Keller, merely that there is one."

"Oh…" Jennifer drew away, his proximity unnerving her more than she could say, willing her tears to stop before he touched her again in that odd way. "What… does s-she w-want… I-I mean, y-you want…?"

"She is here to negotiate, Dr. Keller, but what I require from you at this moment is compliance -" turning away but taking her arm again, Todd began to march towards their destination – "for reasons I am certain you are aware of." Another growl came from him as he added, "Finding you here would be... inconvenient"

"What reasons… inconvenient?" Jennifer latched onto what seemed to be the salient points of his conversation with her but wasn't surprised when he didn't respond or elaborate, just kept moving her onwards at an increasing rate.

Confused by each twist and turn as he moved deeper into the hive, Jennifer could only sense they headed upwards at one point, eventually coming to a transporter pad which deposited them into what looked like an antechamber, computer node central with another corridor leading away. Todd moved down this with Keller in tow, her feet stumbling beside him, breathless at his rapid pace, halting before a set of doors he palmed open to leave the drones at the exterior.

Turning towards her, Todd pushed Jennifer into the gloomy room, and gripped her chin, forcing it upwards so she met his reptilian eyes, neon blue fire glimmering. "You will stay here until I come to get you, and you will not attempt to escape as your safety relies upon this. Do you understand?"

Shoulders drooping, Jennifer twisted her chin out of his grip, and murmured, "Where could I go…?" A sob caught in her throat, and she turned her face away as tears began to burn at the back of her eyelids and throat. She would not cry again… she would not. "It's not as i-if -"

"I do not wish to appear harsh Doctor, but -" as the tone of his voice softened, Keller brought her gaze back to meet with his – "if she knew of your presence she would want to interrogate you and that is unproductive." Stepping back, Todd gestured towards the room, drawing her attention away from himself to focus on her surroundings. "Please, make yourself comfortable while I answer her… summons."

Giving her a small bow, Jennifer was left alone as the doors closed behind his tall figure and she turned to face the room where she found herself. Looking out onto the rear of the hive was a huge curved window, and she crossed to stand before it. Wrapping her arms around her body, Keller fixed on the rear of the ship, her mind dwelling with trepidation on what could be awaiting her.

* * *

"What do you mean, she's not here?" Sheppard said, calmer than the panicking white-faced McKay. "Where could she have gone?"

Rodney widened his eyes in disbelief. "Do I have to spell it out or are you really that stupid?"

Stifling the urge to give a snarky reply, John made an attempt to sooth his friend. "All I'm trying to do here, Rodney, is get the facts and not some garbled crap that makes no sense because your words are running into each other. Try that again, only slower."

"Jen's not in camp -"

"That much I got," Sheppard murmured, and shut up when the physicist's hostile blue gaze landed on him.

"…She's not in camp and the guards don't remember seeing her go."

"But you share a tent, Rodney, don't _you_ recall her leaving?"

Shaking his head, McKay said, "She wanted to stay in the triage tent for the last couple of nights… worried about that Athosian kid who took a stray bullet to the stomach."

"The kid she wanted us to go back to Atlantis to collect medical supplies for?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"And you think she's taken it into her head to do that?"

McKay scowled, irritation and worry now at war on his features. "Or she could have gone down to the woods today to see the teddy bears fucking picnic. What. The. Fuck. Do _you_ think?"

"It's a good few day's walk from here," John said, ignoring the vitriol, "so she couldn't have gone far."

McKay looked sheepish, then guilty, and shook his head. "She… er… she… took the gene -"

"The Ancient gene therapy?" Sheppard gave a little cough of laughter – this was getting better and better. "So why didn't you tell me this, Rodney? Why didn't you think it was important enough?"

"It wasn't." McKay met the hardened hazel gaze full on. "I took her out for a few lessons and she -"

"Has gone off in the only jumper we managed to retrieve from Atlantis…" The Colonel growled with fury, and made off to where Woolsey was standing. "Way to fucking go, McKay."

The Canadian ran after the rapidly marching CO, anxiety firing on all cylinders. "When did this become my fault?"

"Dammit, Rodney, if you thought she would do something this stupid why couldn't you let me know?"

"Because I honestly didn't," McKay said and, catching the depression on his face, Sheppard could see he had not.

* * *

Entering the Queen's chambers, Todd's temper seethed like a cauldron at the highhanded order he'd received, and he gave a curt bow to the female scowling at him from the throne. "You sent for me?"

"We have not yet concluded our business, Commander, and I do not appreciate being kept waiting while _you_ decide to hunt."

Todd bowed again, hooding his eyes as anger threatened and murmured, voice placatory, "Forgive me, Madam, but it was necessary to ascertain whether the 'Lanteans had taken all the data on the Hoffan plague."

"And have they?" the Queen asked, her yellow gaze thoughtful as it wandered over his frame.

"Most, I regret to say," he said and raised his head, seeing no reason to volunteer any more than he needed and stepped closer to the throne.

"Unfortunate." Flicking her long black hair behind her, she rested her chin on long fingers, the tips flashing with jewels. "And have you found out where it is they have hidden themselves, Commander, or do I need to assist you further in this matter?"

"I assure you my officers and drones are more than capable of ascertaining the whereabouts of these humans, Madam and besides -" he proffered her his hand, which she refused, the look she gave him contemptuous – "our negotiations are of much greater importance."

"They are, for you…" she purred, and stepped from the dais to move towards one of the terminals in the room then turned back to face him, her expression cold. "However, I do not think, Queen killer -" and allowed a smile to come over her angular features, curving her full mouth into a scimitar – "a female will come willingly unless she is to be _more_ than a figure head for your Alliance?"

Todd eyed the creature smirking at him, dwelt on the pleasant notion of his dagger inserted between her vertebrae for a moment then offered, "Madam, you mistake my purpose."

"Oh, please do not insult my intelligence, Commander, did you really think I would allow one of my get to come under your control simply so you will be able to convince the other factions of your authority?" The Queen leaned forward, her smile spiteful. "Your reputation precedes you as does knowledge of the unfortunate… accidents that befall Queens when they no longer serve your purpose. Only a fool would suppose you had no other agenda."

"If that is so," Todd growled, unconcerned by the bald accusation, mouth thin with disdain, "why is it you have agreed to meet with me, Madam?"

"I decided it was in my best interest," she said, the tone mild, gliding back towards him to place her feeding hand on his chest, amused by his reaction. "Information came into my possession I feel certain will assist you in the completion of a task."

Projecting calm, Todd took her wrist with his fingertips, feeling the thump of her heart just beneath translucent skin and pushed it away so her hand fell down to her side. "Where is your Commander?" he asked, guarded, certain there was to be other trickery, tilting his head to the side. "And _what_ information?"

"_My_ Commander," she hissed, biting each word, "waits without and will readily come to my aid unless you comply."

"You think to threaten me?" Todd laughed, then said coldly, "You overestimate the importance of your line or any female you seek to offer to me."

The Queen snorted with derision. "Then perhaps this will persuade you, Commander." Turning her back on him she ran her fingers across the terminal, pulling up information which tumbled across the membranous screen before them both. "You need a Queen and I want the head of John Sheppard."

* * *

Still seething about the 'bargain' he'd had to strike, Todd burst into his quarters with his mind turning over the complexities of the situation in which he now found himself immersed. Though Teyla's subterfuge had worked for a time, once the über-hive had been defeated in the skies above Earth, and his subsequent imprisonment the topic of much speculation, the need for the Alliance to have a Queen they could unite under was a pressing concern. An issue he could not progress without, but finding a female young enough and from a lineage great enough to hold the fealty of the Commanders he had serving him was another matter. What he had said to Teyla still held true, but there was no way he would allow any Queen to attempt to take power from him – not again or ever. He had spent far too long languishing in a Genii prison because of the mistaken idiocy of one such. And now the short-sighted fools he dealt with refused to see the threat these Earthborn humans presented nor, it seemed, could they understand the reasons why he would seek to associate with food.

Turning his attention to the human who entered behind him Todd gave a nod in the direction of Keller, who jumped as if scalded the minute he laid eyes on her, her own dark and troubled, staring from a white face. Unbuckling his coat, Todd threw it off as the reek of fear drifted into his nostrils, filling his sensory pits and mouth with her sweet flavour. Suppressing a snarl, he continued to remove the under layer of his armour, placing it on the back of a chair and then turned to face her.

In his current mood her continued alarm at his presence was dangerous - he could not allow it - and attempted to calm her with a small consideration. "Dr. Keller, you must be hungry?"

Startled by the question, Jennifer bit her lip, but responded in a low voice, "I-I had some r-rations in my pack."

"But, none-the-less, it will not be enough," he decided. "My servant will help clean your injuries but, for your own safety, I fear you must discard the uniform as it will attract much unwanted attention." Todd snapped an order at the servant woman. "Attend Dr. Keller."

"Discard…?" Jennifer frowned, then spotted the clothes over the woman's arm for the first time, and asked, "You're keeping me...? Why?"

"Your assistance is necessary to complete a number of experiments."

Scientific curiosity kindled in her and she came away from the window, silhouetted against the burn of stars. "You've made progress?"

"Some," Todd admitted, then continued, "but I have come up against an issue requiring further insight into the human genome." On a sigh, he added, "Come, you must be tended to, and Brala is needed elsewhere."

Glancing at the middle-aged woman, Jennifer tipped her head to meet pale blue eyes, assessing, cool and devoid of emotion, wondering what this Worshipper, this Brala, knew or understood of the conversation she'd just had with her master?

The woman was slight of build, her face was smooth and greying hair was braided to be caught back into a neat pony; she bowed to Todd then cast a glance over Keller. Crossing to the table she placed a small ceramic pot on the surface, and beckoned Jennifer over without a word. As the younger woman crossed to her side the servant deposited the clothing on to the chair and extended her hand to the 'Lantean.

Grunting faint approval, Todd nodded to Keller when she glanced over at him, and he went through into his bathing room, intent on removing clothes which reeked from the stench of fire and smoke. Once his servant had gone would be soon enough to speak to Keller about the disturbing news the Queen had seen fit to impart in her attempt to gain his obedience. Kicking off his boots, the rest of his clothes followed, falling into a heap which he kicked out of the way and then stepped into the bath. Water rushed in, steaming and fragrant, and he settled back as it filled, still fizzing with anger but lending half an ear to the conversation from the other room as it filtered over the sound of water.

The voices were quiet, but heated, Brala's rising in a scold, and then Keller's lighter, higher voice protesting, refusing, until he heard a clear "No!" Growling with frustration – he should have realised, and recalled, the Doctor would resist any way she could - Todd came up out of the bath, snatching a towel to wrap about his hips, and strolled back into his bed chamber, crossing to where the younger woman stood arguing.

Grabbing Keller's shoulder, he ignored the gasp of shock as his wet hand closed over her thin jacket, and took in the alarm spreading over Brala's face as she hastily attempted to thrust the garments into Jennifer's hands.

"Forgive me, Commander, she will not take them." The words left the woman's mouth in a rush, hope flashing across her face that she could stave off the worst of his ire.

"I was obviously not clear enough," Todd snapped but drew a modicum of calm to address his servant again. "I do not place the fault with you, Brala."

Ducking her head, Brala spread her arms in supplication and murmured, "Lord…"

Swinging Keller to face him, Todd leant over and shook her, disregarding her embarrassed gasp then, tilting his head, said, "Discarding your uniform was _not_ a request Doctor, and if I have to strip you myself then I will. This is for your own safety." Demon eyes glittering with annoyance, Todd threw over his shoulder as he stalked away, "Now. Change."


	2. Chapter 2

Holding Torren against her shoulder, Teyla's eyes burned with tears she held back, refusing to let them fall, accepting the burden of heartache. Part of her didn't want to believe the news spreading through the galaxy like a firestorm swept along by a tornado, but too many were reporting the loss of Atlantis for her to cling to the vain hope it wasn't true.

"There is nothing to be done, Teyla," Kanaan said from behind her, and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. "All we can do now is to look to the needs of the living… find those that remain of our friends."

"That remain…?" Teyla repeated, the words bitter gall on her tongue.

The silence radiating from behind signified he had nothing to add, and she was grateful, hoping there would be no more attempts at comfort from any of those she held dear. This grief she felt was far too keen for platitudes and she had no patience with them. Still, the warmth exuding from him, as his arm tightened about her, was a great comfort, strength rushing into her like a wave, their close-knit bond buoying her for a moment.

A sigh whispered against her hair, Kanaan knowing she would take this stance, and he remained silent for she would tell him soon enough what was in her mind - even though he already knew.

"I must return to them," she stated, certain in her belief she could do nothing here and her need to go back to the fallen city.

Torren whimpered a little, his parents troubled emotions feeding to him, and Teyla shushed him as the baby began to cry, placing a kiss on his soft head. The mewls refused to be quieted, though, becoming a full-blooded wail and, taking his son from her arms, Kanaan stroked the infant's back, soothing him towards tranquillity. As the child calmed, an occasional snuffle bleeding into the quiet night, the man pushed out his next words on a regretful sigh.

"Teyla, beloved, Ladon Radim is waiting on your decision."

"I know." Eyes bright with unshed tears, Teyla bowed her head, understanding how much he disliked the task of messenger. Kanaan's free arm curled round her, protective, and she looked up into his face, noting the shadows, the lines where once the marks of his hybridisation lay. "It _was_ no decision. We must all look for a solution."

Breath catching on a sob, the Athosian woman straightened her back and came from his embrace, swallowing the emotions as they burned in her throat, turning towards the light of the camp. There the rest of the Coalition waited for her to rejoin them, so together a decision could be reached about how they might face this new and appalling development – their recent, untried partnership to be christened in a fiery pit, and the coming months would see them tempered… Or not.

For five years, Atlantis and Earth had been there for the people of Pegasus and, though sometimes their presence had been a bane, in the aftermath of destruction it was now clear what value these New 'Lanteans had been. Reaping benefits from the feral attitude of another galaxy's natives towards oppression allowed for the development of both determination and the cohesion they had not had up to that time and so needed. It had shown them the way forward, the possibility of life without the threat of the Wraith. But now it seemed the Wraith would redress the balance and the status quo re-established, and alongside it would then go fear and wretchedness, the cull… the ceaseless succession of life and death under the yoke of a cruel master, a return to all as it had been.

It was intolerable, and must be stopped. Teyla's resolve sharpened, hardening just as the Coalition must, for nothing must stand in the way of whatever course was chosen.

As they walked back to the camp, troubled, heading for the pool of light representing friends and family, Teyla couldn't help but wonder about another opportunity to defeat the Wraith, one that came from within their own ranks. If there was a way to contact Todd, anything to persuade that one to throw his lot in with them, even to the point of offering to maintain his subterfuge? Such nonsense…! She berated herself for even considering such a thing! Why would a Wraith, even one who had shown himself to be more than simply Wraith be interested in any proposal she could offer, and more to the point, would it even be possible for the others of the Coalition to see the benefit of such a liaison? Thoughts tumbling over each other like rocks on a riverbed, Teyla could see the road ahead filled with many other difficult alternatives and now was probably not the best time to place that nugget before the committee as a possibility.

Entering the camp, Teyla met Kanaan's eyes in tacit recognition of the task ahead as he disappeared back to their shelter with Torren. Straightening her back, Teyla headed for the tent where the others were expecting them, playing with the available possibilities, slotting each into order. She drew a breath before pushing aside the flap to enter the tent and spotted the tall figure of Halling next to Radim straight away, catching his eye as she came in. Radim turned his attention to her when Halling indicated her presence and offered the ghost of a smile, its intention one of support.

Making her way over, she gave a curt nod of recognition to both before she turned to face the assembly, then moved to take her seat at the head of the table, waiting with a still authority for the others to join her. "Greetings, one and all."

Flickering half-light from the oil lamps illumed their features, casting lingering shadows over grim faces and she spotted among their number many she recognised as they became seated. It was as it should be, each world's leader intent on the moment and a fleeting sense of gratification filled her, offering a sop for the sorrow they were about to discuss.

"We all know why it is this meeting has been called." Looking about, Teyla captured their eyes, willing them to listen, to pledge their assistance. "We must come to a decision about the problem facing us now Atlantis has fallen, a question all of you in the last few days have raised -" she couldn't help but glance over at Radim who had murmured agreement, then threw the debate wide open for comment – "How best to deal with the Wraith once more. How we, all of us, can work together to face the threat they represent."

Ladon Radim spoke up, addressing the company with clear strong words. "We will stand united in this, Teyla. The Genii people pledge themselves to success." Looking around the darkening tent, he listened to the murmurs erupting about the table, and leaned forward. "Who is with us?"

* * *

"What do you mean, Dr. Keller's gone?" Woolsey snapped, any trace of fatigue erased from his features by the miracle of tension.

Sheppard slid a look at the shorter man, and bit back the sharp retort hovering on the tip of his tongue. "Exactly that, and she's taken the jumper too."

Gaping at his military commander, Richard Woolsey was lost for words at first and shook himself as the implications settled into his head, dismissing the obvious such as 'how'? "When?"

"Now _that_ we can't pinpoint exactly," John said and set his hands on his hips, huffing a sharp breath out in exasperation and ignoring the sweating, miserable physicist beside him. "Best we can come up with is sometime in the early morning, and the consensus is she went back to Atlantis."

Woolsey snorted. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

The base commander hadn't counted on Keller being quite as stubborn as this, and was astonished by the woman's show of nerve. It was the kind of reckless disregard for safety he'd come to expect from other members of the number one team, but not the Doctor. For some insane reason he had been sure Keller would see sense but it was obvious he'd overlooked the influence of her friends.

Earning a nod of agreement from Woolsey, Sheppard pointed out, "Fact is, looking for her is going to spread us out far too thinly for my liking."

"You can't decide that," Rodney said, butting into the conversation, his anxiety multiplying exponentially. "We need her here."

Woolsey turned his attention to the physicist, his mouth thin as he ran the ramifications through his head. "We have other doctors and therefore our priorities remain very much the same." He held up his hand to forestall McKay as he began to protest. "I understand you believe this should take precedence, Dr. McKay, but I have a camp full of refugees and too few military personnel to guard us." The grim, weary expression on Woolsey's face was telling. "What we really need is that jumper back."

"You heartless bastard," McKay snarled, placing blame without hesitation on the base commander. "Since when did a fucking ship take precedence over Jen?"

"Since _that's_ the only way we have of getting a message to Earth," barked Woolsey, leaning forward, pugnacious and contemptuous. "_Since_ the Wraith saw fit to destroy everything we have, Dr. McKay - a thorny little problem you might have spotted - so take your pick because there's plenty more where that came from."

"Rodney -" John gripped his friend's arm as he took an unexpected step towards the other man – "if we're going to retrieve the jumper we'll be able to look for the Doc at the same time." When McKay turned his head to scrutinise him, Sheppard added, "Look, McKay, if we're gonna do this then it has to be as few as possible go in and then we get straight back out."

"I'm willing to do that," McKay stated, tones bitter, "even -" and he glared at Woolsey, chips of blue ice for eyes – "if the nazi here thinks it's a bad idea."

Anger flashed across the IOA man's face, and his next words were rasped through gritted teeth. "That was entirely unnecessary, Doctor, as I understand the way you feel _despite_ what you think. Believe me, I don't like this situation any better than you do." As McKay opened his mouth, Woolsey gestured him to silence, cutting through the start of another diatribe, rage bleeding from him almost as quickly as it had flared, adding, "It's a cold, unpleasant fact we cannot spare people for a rescue mission, plus there is every possibility she may already be dead."

"I don't know about that," John responded, thoughtful as he ran another uncomfortable thought through his head, too aware of Rodney building to an explosion, fury boiling from the scientist in great waves. "Seems to me Jen might be useful to the Wraith as she knows plenty about the Hoffan drug, in particular how to test for it."

"Her reputation precedes her?" Woolsey murmured, disquieted by that random, unpleasant thought also.

Silence fell over the three of them as the likelihood was considered, and McKay drew in a sharp breath, settling his anger, willing himself to calm, knowing what was said were the unpleasant truths of the situation. "So we're decided then?"

"It's a _very_ slim possibility," Woolsey said, meeting the hostile gaze the physicist fixed on him, wishing he could soften the blow, hints of compassion colouring his tones, but still needed to raise his voice over the incredulous gasp of outrage Rodney uttered. "And will be incredibly difficult, plus I need my military -"

Sheppard offered a crumb of support to the increasingly desperate McKay, and placed a cautionary hand on his forearm, cutting across both of them before the argument could restart. "Lorne will go, Richard. He's more than capable of getting in and out of a sticky situation."

* * *

As they'd seen fit to remove his own far more efficient weapon, and leave him with nothing except an insatiable appetite to rip their heads off and crap down their collective necks, getting armed had been important. Ronon checked the setting of the newly acquired stunner, missing the familiar grip of his blaster and its power. He'd had to fight hard to get this piece of crap, as the corpse of the sub-commander he'd taken this weapon from could attest. At least, it would have if it didn't moulder at the bottom of the ravine he'd tossed it off. Between his shoulder blades the itch reminded him he was Wraith fodder once more; the new implant was placed where he could not get at it, the wound just scabbed over and rubbing against the coarse cloth of his shirt.

Hatred rushed through him, a red fog that started in his guts and spun into his head. Too bad he hadn't been able to salvage anything else… _too_ fucking bad he hadn't been able to stretch the kill out. But it meant, at least for the moment, there was some respite from the chase.

Stretching his back muscles, cramped from being in one position for so long, the Satedan ignored pangs of hunger and the troubled growling of his belly to poke at the small fire he allowed himself. Managing to snatch a few hours fitful sleep – not nearly enough - before they'd restarted the chase, balanced on the thick branch of a tree, belt strapped round his torso to keep from falling off. Stiff from cold and unaccustomed to napping in trees, he had the feeling he'd grown soft living on Atlantis - though 'soft' was a relative term if you compared him with, say, Rodney. The comparison chilled him as he realised for the millionth time he was probably never going to see his friends again – even if he lived to tell the tale. Stirring the fire again, Ronon roused it to cherry red heat, hunkering over it in an effort to get some warmth into his bones, and a feeble attempt to deter the melancholy route his thoughts were taking him in.

Reaching forward, he snagged the stick which held his kill from the fire, and began to tear charred flesh from the rodent's stringy carcase with his fingers, the heat burning his skin at first. It wasn't much, but it was protein and he needed everything he could lay his hands on and he could hunt again later. Thanks to the recent sudden rainfall, now he had water too – it made for a reasonable meal and would sustain him until he could scavenge something else.

Mind churning, Ronon was uncertain where in the galaxy the Wraith had decided to place him and, worse, now Atlantis was subjugated there was never going to be a rescue. He had a feeling this would be his last time as a plaything, and he intended, if that was to be so, that he would take as many of the green-skinned bastards with him as he could. Sucking his fingers clean of the scanty dripping from the meat, he wiped his fingers against his pants, picking up the stunner, weighing it in his hand, ruminating on the way to the 'gate.

The human population was sparse and he wasn't keen to get too close to them in case he brought more trouble than they could handle, so going through one of the small hamlets was out of the question. He could only hope he might happen upon a lone traveller who might be open to questioning, but in these times where the Wraith were marauding more frequently, that was a prospect which seemed ever more slight.

The forest snapped, and a chuffing sound caught his attention…

Listening intently, knowing something stirred just beyond the dim glow of his fire, the Satedan brought the stunner up, the barrel pointed towards the unexpected noise, and a hoofed creature came into sight, stamping its feet at him in alarm, large dark eyes wide as it took in his unaccustomed scent. He relaxed, relieved, and placed the weapon back in its makeshift holster. For now he'd managed to get a good lead on the hunters, but Ronon knew it wouldn't be long before there was another wave sent against him.

* * *

Satisfied he had rid himself of the lingering smell of death and destruction, Todd came into his bed chamber to see Keller sitting on the bench lining the window, dressed as befitted a Worshipper and a concubine. There was an unnatural stillness about her, that of prey cornered, sweat beading her upper lip as she watched him enter the room and sit, stroking his goatee pondering how to broach this delicate subject.

Deep embarrassment warred with fury in Keller's face, her eyes accusing as she met his gaze, uncomfortable in the gown she wore, its décolleté skimming the top of her breasts. Still, for all that, the Doctor possessed a raw courage he could not help but admire, and with her co-operation this small deception could work. Mouth twitching as he examined her – from head to foot, Brala had groomed her to perfection, the leather and velvet rich against her creamy skin – Todd allowed a small kernel of satisfaction to grow.

Fortune had indeed taken a turn for the better to place her in his hands; it was something he had not foreseen. But this skittish creature required careful handling before she could truly take her place in the drama as it played itself out, and he would take as long as needed to ensure she took on the role he had ascribed. That she was not to his usual taste could not be helped, but Brala's assistance ensuring the lie was supported in the Worshippers quarters would go a long way to make certain there would be no gossip about the Commander's new pet or his apparent departure from his usual pattern.

"Dr. Keller," he murmured, bringing her attention into sharp focus on him. "I see you have eaten and changed as I requested."

Keller choked back a derisive noise in her throat. "That wasn't a request, Todd. You ordered me."

"Yes," he agreed, his manner mild. "But the reasoning behind it was entirely sound, my dear."

Dark eyes fixed on him, blonde curls escaping the confines of the braids piled on top of her head, and she smoothed her shaking hands into the pleats of the rich green gown, twisting her fingers into the nap. "Why do you need me?"

A smile twisted his lips, and he gazed at her with a new appreciation born of the sudden bold question. "Your expertise in genetics and because you also know where I might locate Colonel Sheppard."

Suspicious, Jennifer frowned, chewing her lower lip as she considered this statement. "Why would I take you to him… or any of the others?"

"I have no doubt you will not do so, even if I were to threaten your life but, as you have a far greater value than that you need not fear me on that score." Watching her confused reaction to his words, Todd felt satisfied he had her interest, knowing she would listen to him if only to make an attempt understanding his motivation. "Information has come into my possession regarding Ronon Dex -" he ignored her intake of breath, and rested an arm on the table as he leaned towards her, intent – "indicating he has been made runner once more."

Jennifer's hands lifted to her mouth, shocked to the core, and whispered, "Do you know where he is?"

"I do not," Todd growled and sat back, irritated by this lack of intelligence, as it was something the Queen had seen fit to withhold from him and he had been in no position to force it from her. Drumming his fingers against the table top, he looked past Jennifer, quelling anger at his treatment at that one's hands. "But that will soon be remedied, and then you will be able to impart this to the Colonel after I have effected a rescue."

"Then I can go?" Jennifer studied him, knowing there would be more but uncertain how she could gain information if he was unwilling to give it.

There was a note of hope in the question, and Todd tipped his head as he weighed it. "If the work we need to do is complete I see no reason why I should seek to keep you, but…" The next part of the proposition was difficult and Todd paused for a moment before adding, "It is entirely possible that to assist your colleagues you may need to stay here for longer."

"Oh." Falling silent again, Keller swallowed before asking another question. "You said you were going to help us?" On this she looked across into his eyes. "How?"

Shrugging, the Wraith mulled over his response and made an offer. "In exchange for your work on the retrovirus, I will ensure the information giving away Earth's location is lost to the other factions." Watching her features change, Todd could see doubt was streaks ahead of any assurances he could give, so continued, "My Alliance is increasing in size and with it the knowledge of the treatment you and I will finalise development of, Doctor. We will overcome the others, and destroy the threat once and for all if we can present this completed."

Jennifer eased back, staring into green-gold eyes, searching the alien features for any hint of subterfuge, uneasy with the thought her friends would have to rely on the philanthropy of Wraith. "Even though I failed before you still want to go through with the treatment?"

"I do." Rising to his feet, Todd moved across the room to stand looking down at her, watching her shrink a little on the seat and then sat beside her, ignoring the way she leant back, her hands positioned to fend him off. "For your protection, the hive _must_ believe you are my servant… my concubine -" Todd struck faster than ever she could move, one arm holding her tight as she struggled to get away, terrified, palms pressed against his chest, his feeding hand gripping her jaw with strong fingers – "hear me, woman! Jennifer Keller, listen to me!"

For a moment Todd thought she would still fight against him, but she stopped the futile struggle to tip her head back and meet his eyes. Easing the grasp on her jaw, as round bruises blossomed on her delicate skin, he grunted faint approval, though she remained unyielding, rigid with terror.

"No… no… not possible… I-I d-don't believe y-you," she whispered, the words tumbling forth on a tremulous breath, her face echoing the disbelief and the consternation his words had wreaked.

"What you do or do not believe is unimportant as such a role is not uncommon, Jennifer Keller."

"I-I won't… no…" Tears tumbled down her cheeks, and Keller made a fresh effort to get away, panic bestowing strength to her attempts.

Pushing her head to one side, Todd gave a throaty warning growl, patience now fled in the light of her defiance, his grasp tightening into steel bands as he slid his mouth along the column of her neck. Beneath the beguiling warmth of her skin, her heart raced and a strangled gasp rushed out of her lungs, triggering instincts he fought with all his reason. Every strand of his nature told him the frantic quarry in his arms could not withstand his assault and, battling against his desire to taste her life, Todd bit down, rumbling as the tang of blood filled his mouth, salty and metallic, rich... The woman spasmed, a cry of pained shock ringing in his ears, and he held her still longer, savouring her taste.

For many seconds, Todd drew the flavour into his mouth, relishing both it and the feel of her slight form against his own. As he began to disengage his teeth her scent sped into his lungs, the lush fragrance embedding itself within his senses, a deep visceral reaction took him by surprise and he deepened the bite once more, pulling Keller into his embrace, bearing her backwards to the seat, his wits clouding with need... Cries of terror cut through into Todd's consciousness as blunt nails ripped, clawing at his flesh, desperation clear in the emotions she poured out. Realisation flooded through him and, as his hold loosened, Jennifer took the initiative and pushed away, falling hard to the floor. One hand clasped the fresh wound on her neck, blood seeping between her fingers as she caught her breath and sobbed, rising up from her tangled position.

Thrusting the urge to follow her to the floor, Todd forced himself to calm, to rationality, as the woman wept, and took in a deep breath, allowing the scent of her to wash across his sensory pits. The desire to possess this woman hit him again, as it had when he first met her.

"W-what… h-have… y-you done!" Tears glittered in the half light, running down her cheeks and off her chin to spatter the neckline of her gown mixing with the ruby of her blood.

"You are my property now, Jennifer Keller and, unless I am challenged, it will ensure some measure of safety for you." A glint appeared in his eyes as he scrutinised her, pausing for the span of a heartbeat to taste blood residue with the tip of his tongue. "At least... on this hive it will."

Horror struck, outraged, Jennifer could only stare back at Todd as he rose to his feet and swept past her, moving towards the doors. "S-safety…?"

"Yes," he growled, unconcerned, putting all other considerations behind him for contemplation later. "Now, child, come. We have work to attend to." Aware she hesitated, her hand still holding the wound at her shoulder, Todd waited as she rose to her feet. "There is much I need to discuss with you, Jennifer Keller."


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N. So sorry about the delay for this, but I've had one or two hiccups in RL. Hopefully, you won't mind so much now it's posted :)**

* * *

Day blended into night all too easily on a hive, Keller reflected, as they trudged through endless corridors, heaving with many faced Wraith males, some of whom did not resist the urge to look at the female escorted by warriors. Their open scrutiny did little for Jennifer's nerves, and they were shot to hell after only five days. Bad enough she had to stay in Todd's quarters, sleep on a pallet like a dog, listening for when he would return, and pretending slumber when he arrived. And being an exhibit, like a cake displayed in a baker's window, was beyond anything she'd been subjected to yet. Even the bite… Exhaustion drove her onwards, her mind numb with dread, unsure why she'd been summoned from the laboratory.

The drones drew to a halt and Jennifer was outside a set of double doors that slid open to reveal a large, almost empty chamber. Hesitant, she peered round the edges, not disposed to cross the threshold in spite of the sinister figures hovering at her side. Placing a hand on the edge of the door, she waited, delved into the gloom in an attempt to find out what waited for her. Pre-empt the future in some way…

"Come here, Jennifer Keller."

When Todd's deep voice boomed out, she took a step into the room. Finding him silhouetted against a vast monitor set into the wall of the hive, she watched, wary, as his fingers moved over the interface, information flashing on its surface, full of brief bursts of detail and tantalising imagery. Curiosity overcame judgement, and Jennifer took further tentative steps into the room to scan the screen in front of her. Filled with intriguing details of human and Wraith DNA, it held her gaze until she was distracted by the Wraith as he bent over the console.

Attention fixed on the task before him; Keller could survey him properly for the first time since coming aboard. Drawing closer, but not so close she could be grabbed, she studied his broad back, and the untidy mess of white hair he couldn't be bothered to pull out from beneath the collar of his armour. He seemed oblivious to her scrutiny, and Jennifer allowed a few moments to dwell on the strange events in his quarters. It made her afraid, not of Todd necessarily, but of the strange sensations she had when she thought of him bearing down on her.

It wasn't the first time either, that she'd felt such things. And her awareness of him as an alpha male had increased with every meeting, every moment, until her nerves were in a constant state of jitter. Her captivity served to heighten the ambiguity, and it escaped in a mix of denial and raw excitement, generously dosed with self-loathing.

"Tell me -" he said, out of the blue, and turned his head just enough to see her from the corner of his eye - "what you see, Jenni-fer?"

Surprised by the sudden question, Keller swallowed and sidled towards him, unhappy about being in reach. There was no way she wanted a repeat of the episode in his chambers; her neck burned from the bite even though the ointment Brala set such store by had been lavished on the wound and it was healing rapidly. When there was no further movement from him except a return of those green-gold slitted eyes to the terminal, she allowed her attention to be fixed by the monitor. Fascinated by the fall of glyphs, Jennifer couldn't make head or tail of them until she saw patterns emerging from the seemingly random information.

Taken by what she saw, Keller forgot her wariness and moved forward. A low chuckle sounded in her ear caused her to glance up, and his twisted grin came into view, sharp teeth exposed.

"Well?" he purred, amused by her gasp and the step she took to the side, stumbling in her haste so he had to catch her before she fell.

"I-I…" Under his scrutiny, Jennifer's words died in her throat, and she swallowed, embarrassed and uncomfortable with the grip of his hand around her upper arm.

"Nothing to add, my dear?" he wondered, and cocked his head to examine her, tones somewhat hardened. "Come now, you must have observed something in the material displayed here?"

Dark eyes flicked to the screen where data still streamed over its surface, and she forced herself to calm before an answer was forthcoming. "You've altered some of the base pairs…" Jennifer squinted, and shook her arm loose so she could view it closer. A stifled sound came from her throat. "Oh…"

Gratified by her response, Todd rumbled, "I see you have spotted the changes the retrovirus has wrought on _both_ human and Wraith DNA."

"What have you done?" she asked, gaze tracing the configuration, and followed the lines of whirling molecules, as colours heaved on the screen.

"Nothing that would not have happened without the addition of a small amount of Iratus in the correct areas..." he paused, and then added, "… or human."

Jennifer stared at the monitor, and then turned her head to look at him. "You still want to remove your reliance on humans as a food source?"

"Of course," Todd murmured, and swept his hand across the controls so the screen became dark. Quiescent except for a few symbols moving downwards, a slow trickle to indicate the system monitored itself, the computer hummed with quiet efficiency.

"And that's why I'm here?" There were other suspicions beginning to filter into the uppermost sections of her mind, and Jennifer didn't like the route they took. All of it seemed far too glib, this unexpected information about Wraith and human served to unsettle her. Surely he could not have meant what he said, that there were more intimate reasons for the association between Wraith and Worshipper, things that did not involve food? She found she didn't dare ask for a fuller explanation, in case all her preconceptions took flight out the nearest airlock.

"The reason you are here and not in one of the cocoons awaiting a member of my crew to feed on you, Doctor, is that you hold more value to me alive -" his eyes gleamed as he turned to face her, ran his frank look across her – "and well, than the simple gratification of a rather small meal."

Colour swept through her cheeks as the tone of his voice mocked and goaded, and Keller's head lowered. The patina of the floor held sudden interest, and for a moment there was silence. On this occasion, she wondered, should she be bold and frank, ask the question that spun in her head? A hand crept up to the mark again, the scabs livid against her pale skin.

"As my concubine -" Todd continued without pause, and reached across the small gap between them to take the hand rested at her neck - "you will come across behaviours from Worshippers that will place you in danger." The thumb of his feeding hand spread her palm, and massaged it.

His touch compelled her to look up into his eyes. Unable to snatch her hand away, the expression in those orbs was grave, almost kind. It was something she didn't expect from this ferocious creature, and yet she _had_ seen other moods, thoughtful, pensive when he expressed his concerns to her for his people. To say it threw her in a whirl was too simplistic. He unsettled her.

"I'm not your -"

A laugh followed, swift on the heels of her rebuttal. "Indeed you are not, Jenni-fer," he chuckled, and continued his lazy kneading. "But they believe you to be, and this is a subterfuge we will uphold as it explains much."

"For appearances?" she murmured, hoping this was just a game he played, despite the suspicions flying through her head.

"Most certainly," Todd agreed, and drew her hand up to place it on his chest. "It also means you must stay in my quarters."

"B-but… T-that w-would… it's... I... " Jennifer's stammer returned as the full horror of her situation bombarded her and, heart racing, made an attempt to pull away.

"But nothing," he snapped, all semblance of the gentler persona fled, and held her fast. "There will be attempts on your life if you are unable to maintain the lie, and this circumstance is part of that lie." Almost as sudden, his voice grew softer, as he added, "It is not my intention to get you killed, my dear, and no Wraith will trespass my quarters. Something they may do if you had your own, and the Worshippers will be less likely to set traps for you."

Stated so clearly, and with all the subtlety of a hammer blow, Jennifer fell silent again. It was either the fire or the frying pan, which was no choice at all.

"Good," Todd's voice held approval but irritation telegraphed across his face, and there was a shift to his stance – as if he heard something out of range. "Be still," he warned, and his free hand tangled into her hair to tug her head back. "Trust me."

The words were whispered into her ear, as she swallowed a cry, and Jennifer trembled like aspen. Todd's mouth against her skin, the feel of his teeth, sent treacherous coils into her stomach, all at total variance with her fear. This wasn't right, not right at all…

Her fingers clutched at the collar of his coat, and as her body's unexpected reaction burnt through her, Jennifer moaned, then filled with shame. Horrified such a noise issued from her mouth, frantic and panicked, she was trapped against him, his heat moving between them. There was nothing she could do, nowhere to go.

As sweat trickled between her breasts, his feeding hand moved, settled its weight against her sternum, and the maw gaped, leaked enzyme, each hook latching to her. Terror wormed its way into her muscles. Blood drained from every extremity, pooled into the pit of her guts and gave her the sensation of being sucked into quicksand. Frozen in place, she whimpered, but the sound that next reached her ears was no death rattle; it was that of the chamber's doors sliding open.

"Commander, I did not realise I intruded."

Lifting his mouth from where it rested against Jennifer's flesh, Todd didn't dignify the newcomer with his attention. Eyes fixed on Jennifer's he lifted his feeding hand, and lowered it to her hip. It rested there, slick against the small amount of skin showing at her waist, and he rumbled when she drew a sharp breath. A small warning she had no choice but to obey.

"What do you want?" The clipped words gave no indication whether Todd truly thought there had been an intrusion.

"We arrive at the planet -"

"You sought me out for that -" Todd snapped, and rose to face the unfortunate underling; his movement allowed Jennifer a small amount of freedom, and she rested against his body, her breath loud in her ears - "when I am fully aware of the fact?"

"But not the arrival of the other hive, or that it carries its Queen," the other Wraith hissed, insubordination bubbled in the words, but he subsided when the Commander's snarl answered him. The sub-commander was youthful, not stupid.

Todd narrowed his eyes. "Not a member of our Alliance?"

"They are not," the younger Wraith agreed, as curious cat eyes flicked across the woman and his nostrils flared with the scent of fear. "This faction owes its allegiance to one that has links with the new Primary."

Claws dug into Jennifer's waist, and she whimpered with pain but he did not retract his grip. "I will return to the bridge shortly."

"Commander." Bowing his head in acknowledgement, the underling turned on his heel and disappeared back into the hallway, accompanied by the drones at the exit.

Todd uttered a low growl as the skirts of the sub-commander's leather coat disappeared through the doors, and glanced down at the trembling female snared by his arm. Moisture dewed her upper lip, and it caught his attention, as it glistened faintly in the dim lights. She couldn't help the flinch, as his hand came up to trace the line of her mouth with a talon, but the grip in her hair loosened and he stepped away.

"Ah, Jenni-fer," he purred, the tone of his voice soft, almost conciliatory, "forgive me for frightening you, but it was a necessary part of the deception."

Keller managed a sharp nod of her head in recognition, unable to speak, fear just beginning to recede to more manageable levels. For some reason, she expected Todd to say more, but when he didn't volunteer any information, she looked across to where he now stood. He looked into the distance, focussed elsewhere and seemed most contemplative.

Jennifer found her voice at last, braving a storm for being bold. "Something you weren't expecting?"

Reptile eyes flickered over her, his expression shuttered, but it seemed he was in the right frame of mind to respond. "No, my dear. It was something I expected all along, if perhaps a little sooner than I hoped."

* * *

Teyla walked alongside of Ladon Radim, and listened to what the Genii leader had to say. Rather, she made a valiant attempt to listen, but other considerations refused to budge from her mind, so his conversation washed over her consciousness. There was no doubt in her mind he helped her cause, because the others were willing to listen to what she had to say. Even though they still held fast to the underlying suspicion her only interest in the outcome of the conflict was purely for the sake of her 'Lantean friends, rather than the rest of the galaxy.

Such a thought, of course, was unfounded, and should have no place among her peers or in negotiations to solve their problems. Still though, she could not blame them for it, irrespective of her own emotions. What they faced, what all of them faced, was a true coming together of all Wraith factions and an orchestrated effort by them to level any form of resistance. But what bothered her most was the information they had to work with was patchy, probably unreliable, making it unlikely anybody would risk their skin to gather better.

Having said that, Teyla also heard the Worshippers whispered amongst themselves about a maverick. She could only suppose the maverick was Todd. It seemed that Wraith continued to upset the order of things; it was as natural to him as breathing.

However, although still unsettled by his use of her in his schemes, Teyla knew in her bones, if there _was_ a way to change the fortunes of the galaxy then it was best if that bastard got involved and _stayed_ in power… A rapacious beast hell bent on total annihilation or genocide would serve no one. It was a simple fact that humankind could not survive the threat of the constant cull any longer and, Todd, at least, seemed willing to challenge the status quo. True, it would only be to further his own ambition and ensure the monopoly of power remained with him, but it was still better they had a dictator they knew rather than a wild card.

Who knew what faction would emerge victorious if things were allowed to continue the way they were?

"Teyla," the Genii said, intruding rudely on her deliberations, "are you well?"

The Athosian realised she'd been distracted, had given little attention to the conversation for some time, and behind them the camp had receded to the distance. For the life of her, Teyla couldn't recall walking that far and, stopped dead as she turned to view the many tents - from the encampment, all sound was muted, a distant babble. They now stood at the top of the hill, and she offered a rueful smile to the man, more to put him at ease than out of any sense of joy.

"I am well enough, thank you, but troubled that the council did not go as well as planned."

The Genii leader made a soft noise of affirmation, and looked out across the expanse of plain that led to the ancestral ring. "It is still too early in the day for them, Teyla." His blue eyes regarded her, not unkind. "The Coalition is young, and now we must face our enemy without Atlantis and access to the technology of either the ancestors or Earth. They have a right to their fear." A cautionary hand lay over her forearm, his expression more serious. "And if information regarding the Coalition falls into the hands of Wraith then it will serve us all ill."

Teyla could not deny the harsh truth of Radim's statement, and gritted her jaw, before she offered a tentative hope. "The Daedalus will return -"

"The Daedalus is only _one_ ship, and it was on its way back to Earth when the Wraith staged their attack. At best, they will be many days from returning, and then what can _they_ do, a single ship?"

The trouble was, he was right, and Teyla could say nothing to counter the argument. Within the confines of her mind, a plan began to form, though she doubted whether either Radim or Kanaan would approve.

"We have need of information, Ladon Radim," she said, utter certainty in her tones. "And we have need of someone who will report without bias what the situation among Wraith is, so we might attack where it will do most damage."

"And who is it you have in mind for such a daunting task?" he asked, and folded his arms, interested in her response.

"Me."

* * *

The sun burned through his lids, and Ronon came awake, disorientated, and certain he should be elsewhere. Dreams still played across his sleep-fuzzed mind, weird pictures of John and Teyla, interspersed with the snarling faces of Wraith as they selected him to be runner again. The skin on his back burned where the implant lay, and the Satedan half-growled as full consciousness restored itself.

It all flooded back in a tsunami, an earthquake of gargantuan proportion, and he cursed his stupidity. Ever since coming through the last 'gate, he'd had a feeling he was on borrowed time and at any moment some green-skinned motherfucker would be biting his hairy ass. He'd been so right and yet, so wrong. What he _should_ have remembered was every Worshipper between there and the galactic rim knew about him, and every fucking one of them looked for a way to ingratiate themselves to their masters.

And what could be better than to bring down the notorious Ronon Dex, who seemed impervious to normal methods of predation?

He managed a savage grin, recall of the ambush and ensuing struggle vivid in his mind's eye. Somehow, he'd pulled off a nice slaughter of three before the others beat him into submission. It had been so very good to feel his sword slipping between ribs, and hot blood spill across his fingers. Even better to crack skulls in a retribution well deserved for the sale of their own kind, _despite_ being caught with his pants down.

Ronon struggled to sit upright, and took in his surroundings. It was a pretty familiar scenario to many others played out over the years, so he didn't think there would be any further surprises. He rested his shoulders against the bars behind his back, tonguing the deep cut on his swollen lip, other issues coming to the fore. It would only be a matter of time before the Wraith commanding these humans made an appearance and he had better think his way out of the situation real fast. Pity Rodney wasn't there, as he always seemed to have an idea to work with. Not that the ideas worked all the time.

He turned his head, and winced. Movement seemed restricted, stiff, and his vision was off, which had to mean he'd got a decent black eye for a souvenir. But, on the other hand, although he'd taken a pretty proficient beating, his breathing was good, so no snapped ribs.

Another quick scan revealed a bowl with water – so at least they intended to keep him alive – and some dirty blankets they hadn't even bothered to throw over him while he was out. Beyond the confines of the cage, and under the covering thrown across the top of it in a haphazard manner, the Satedan could see movement.

"Hey!" Ronon shifted his position, and flexed his fingers against the tight rope bound round his wrists. There was a little give, certainly some room to work it lose, if he had enough time. His cry didn't alert anyone either, but then his voice had crawled out of his mouth like a fly from a corpse. He tried again. "Hey, you there! Hey...!"

This time, someone stirred themselves from the cluster of people waiting, to stroll casually over to Ronon's prison. They hunkered down, and a tanned face with a dark beard hove into view before clearing his throat to aim mucus at the ground.

"Awake are you, then?"

Ronon smiled, the movement of his lips caused the cut to stretch further than the fresh scab would allow, and a fresh batch of blood to seep. He tongued it again, lapped it away before he said, "Looks that way."

"The Wraith come for you, Ronon Dex."

"Well," the Satedan said, "maybe they will, and maybe they won't."

The man laughed, a hoarse sort of coughing noise, and sat back on his haunches. "Oh, believe me, they definitely will."

"You have no plans for me, other than to just... hand me over. Not even after I killed your friends?"

Dark brown eyes narrowed in the tanned face, and he tipped his head to regard Ronon, nostrils flared a little, as he considered the question. "They want you alive," he answered, but the words seemed to hold an air of doubt to the Satedan. "And that's what they get."

Ronon looked past the man to where his companions sat and waited, then jerked his chin towards them. "Is that what they want?"

The Worshipper turned his head and looked over his shoulder. Turning back to Ronon, he grinned, the look more teeth than strictly necessary. "Now then, Satedan, you're tempting me, but to be honest, I would rather make sure I had a long life serving my master than kill you. Even though that would be a rare treat." The words barely left his lips, and he stood, stretched his knees with an audible crack. Bending over, he winked at Ronon as he looked in, and slapped the cage in a jovial manner. "If you behave yourself, we'll find some food for you. But not a lot. I don't think you'll be needing much."

"You've made a big mistake," Ronon called after the human, but didn't get so much as a turn of the head in reply.

Well, that meant he had some leeway, at least, and now he'd established just how loyal the Worshippers were, he could work on getting free. They might have been good at ambush, but they sure as hell weren't as efficient as they should be about removing weapons. Most people weren't, though.

Easing his position round so he could see what lay beyond the cage, Ronon began to work at the rope. It would come lose, and when it did, he had a useful garrotte and, he couldn't help the fierce smile that crossed his face, a handy hostage if the Worshippers brought the food as promised. Buoyed by this, the Satedan chipped away at his bindings, and kept a close watch on the figures in the near distance.

* * *

"How much further?"

Evan Lorne sighed, and squinted sideways at the Canadian physicist. It had to have been the fiftieth time McKay asked that question and right now, the Major didn't know for certain whether he would end up killing the other man. He attempted patience again.

"We have at least another fifteen clicks to go, Dr. McKay, and at this pace it'll take a good few hours." Lorne knew McKay couldn't help himself, that the bitching was down to anxiety, but the knowledge didn't make it any better.

They trudged along in blessed silence for at least another ten minutes, and Lorne started to hope Rodney got the message, that they would get there when they got there, and not a minute sooner. Well, quicker if they could pick up a bit of speed. But, it seemed the wish genie had a day off, and wasn't inclined to listen in on Lorne's wavelength, because McKay started to talk again.

"I heard something," the Canadian said. His blue eyes darted everywhere, a slight look of panic on his face, and he stood stock-still. "Listen."

The Major stifled a snappish retort, and humoured him. At first he heard zilch, but then, noise, and definitely closer than before, voices. Not Wraith either, and Lorne uttered a low growl of annoyance. So it seemed not only did they had to contend with the damn Wraith, but the dregs of the Pegasus galaxy had decided to join in picking at the bones of Atlantis.

"Told you," the Canadian said, more than a hint of glee in his tones when he caught the look on Lorne's face. "I have excellent hearing."

"That's a wonder," Evan muttered under his breath. "Surprised you can hear _anything_ but your own voice." He avoided Rodney's scrutiny, and said, "We better get out of sight. These bastards are probably trackers."

"No shit Sherlock," Rodney snapped. "Listen, soldier boy, I know the damn routine."

"Shut up the fuck up, will you, Rodney." Lorne grabbed the scientist by the arm, hauling him under cover, and gave him a death stare. One even McKay couldn't misinterpret, or wriggle out of. "Get down," he hissed. "And stay down."

"I'm not staying," McKay spat at him, furious. "What if something happens to you? I'll be on my own."

"Nothing is going to happen," the equally irritated Major rejoined in a whisper. "Look, I won't even be long. Twenty minutes tops, but I swear if you move, so help me I'll kill you." As he spoke he yanked McKay down to a crouch.

McKay uttered a single yelp, but complied, a faint pissy look on his face, unhappy about being handled. Satisfied the scientist would stick where he'd put him, Lorne headed into the thicket of trees, and moved as quickly as he could towards the racket. A low level racket, but a racket all the same. Under his breath, he cursed there was no reliable way he could get a message to Sheppard about this occurrence, and hugging his P-90 to his chest, got as close as he dared. McKay expected him back, so he would be back, which meant capture was off the list.

Hopefully this wouldn't take long…

On this occasion, Lorne thanked his lucky stars there was no need for him to travel far, as the party of hunters were moving fast, and he caught up with them easily. They looked really spooked, jumpy, and kept to a tight pack rather than fan out through the woods as if in search. As well they might be, Lorne thought, given just how many Wraith were on the planet searching for the remainder of the Earthborn. The last thing humans wanted on New Lantea at the moment was plenty of attention.

The Major ducked out of sight as they made their way past. Back against a trunk, he heard them pass by, the smell of their unwashed bodies reaching him on the light breeze and, managed to peer at them from his position. Facial tattoos, and long hair, as well as the stench, identified them immediately… Fuck… Bola Kai. The Bola Kai were about as welcome as bacon at a bar mitzvah, and he snarled inwardly. This was information he _had_ to get back to the rest of the survivors. Soon.

Crouching down, he moved back and away until he could see only their retreating backs, and headed for McKay's position. There was no way they could keep going towards Atlantis, they had to get back to the camp, and pass on this intel. If the rag-tag tribes of Pegasus also hunted them, then they needed to prepare. At the moment, not one member of the Coalition had come through, and that meant there had to be trouble afoot in the galaxy at large.

As soon as he was certain the distance between them gave him a good safety margin, he picked up speed until he reached the area he'd left McKay. Shrugging his way into the undergrowth, he looked about, alarmed. A quick search revealed the physicist had disappeared. Exasperated and furious, Lorne kicked a trunk, and thought about wringing a certain scientist's neck until his eyes popped. What pissed him off most was he knew he couldn't rely on McKay to listen to a single word he said, but somehow he'd actually believed this time would be different.

Anger would get him nowhere, though, and Lorne scanned the area, then hunkered down, his fingertips grazing the trampled ground. Mouth thin, he blew an exasperated breath. "Fuck…" he muttered. "McKay, where the hell are you?"

* * *

Satisfied the hive was in no danger now, but at a distance from the other visitors to this planet just in case they should decide to change the agreement, Todd strolled into the dart bay. Jennifer was already waiting for him, and she looked suspicious.

The flavour of her fear reached him on the cool air, and he crossed to where she stood. Jennifer met his gaze and drew herself up a little, clenching her hands into fists. But Todd could see the tremor in them, the control she attempted.

"You must come with me," he said, again, not wanting to go over his reasons, but it seemed she needed to be reminded. "There is something of vital importance you need to see for yourself on the surface."

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" she said, and looked past him at the dart, which would store her until they got planet side.

The Wraith Commander growled and took one of her hands, ignoring the tremble of her fingers. "Jenni-fer, you will be safe. My second has orders to retrieve you should this go awry, but as you will not be near to my position, I do not think there will be a problem."

Long fingers smoothed her palm so it lay over the slit of his hand, and Todd felt it open against the warmth of her skin, eager to sample the essence running just beneath the surface. The flavour she offered was unique, full of the differences he'd detected in Sheppard, and yet very dissimilar.

He allowed a smile to reach his eyes. "Trust me, my dear."


End file.
